Friday, December 3,2004
NFL Stars lead teams toward playoffs
By Bryan L. Spry
staff writer
The National Football League is
entering into its 13th week of the sea
son. There are a few rookies this year,
as well as star veterans, making the
2004 season worth watching. With
the emergence of rookie “Big Ben”
Roethlisberger and the ever flamboy
ant veteran Terrell Owens, NFL teams
are relying on the play of their super
stars to take them into the playoffs.
The team records of the 2004 NFL
season appear to be a bit unbalanced.
While some teams this year appear as
though they just can’t win, other
teams are looking as if they just can’t
be stopped. Three teams this year
have recorded only one setback thus
far; the Philadelphia Eagles, Pitts
burgh Steelers and the New England
Patriots. These three teams have also
not yet lost a game on their home
field.
The play of the rookies and veter
ans this season, some veterans resur
rected, have been outstanding in cru
cial divisional games this year.
Donavan McNabb, with touchdown
sensation Terrell Owens, has lead the
Philadelphia Eagles to an outstand
ing record of 10-1. A lot of attention
has been brought to the team this year
due to Terrell Owens talk of himself
being the best player. Terrell Owens
has 969 yards receiving and 13 touch
downs.
Behrend student, junior Jason
Weckoski says, “Terrell Owens can
One Wild Week of Sports
By Chris LaFuria
sports commentary
While many people across the United
States celebrated Thanksgiving with
their families and loved ones, students
enjoyed a break from hectic class sched
ules and shopping malls endured hours
of the legendary “Black Friday,” the
world of sports stayed alive and capti
vating. Titles were won, records were
tied or broken, and mesmerizing perfor
mances were delivered by the country’s
elite.
In the world of NCAA Football, the
BCS committee is up and about select
ing their teams for the respected bowls.
Southern California, who defeated Notre
Dame 41-10 this past Sunday, is one of
the favorites for the National Title. The
top five in the BCS is rounded out by
Oklahoma, Auburn, California and
Texas.
Golf emerged exciting once again as
various players displayed their tour
dominance. From the men’s tee, Fred
Couples captured his record fifth Skins
Game title, winning $640,000 and eclips
ing the ever-impressive Tiger Woods. In
the women’s tour, hot-swinging Annika
Sorenstam captured her league-leading
eighth tour victory. One last stellar per
formance was given by Phil Mickelson,
who shot a stunning and rarely seen 59
in the finals of the PGA Grand Slam of
Golf.
The Laval Rouge et Or won their sec
ond straight Desjardins Vanier Cup (the
championship of Canadian Football) by
defeating the Saskatchewan Huskies 7-
1 in the lowest scoring Desjardins Vanier
Cup game in CFL history.
From one end of the scoring spectrum
to the other, the Cleveland Browns and
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Pittsburgh Steelers quaterback Ben Roethlisberger laughs as Steelers Head
Coach Bill Cowher gives him instructions during a sideline conference late in
the game against the Philidelphia Eagles. The Steelers defeated the Eagles
27-3 at Heinz Field on Nov. 2.
say whatever he wants as long as he
performs on the field, and so far he
has done just that. He makes the play
ers around him better,” said
Weckoski. The Eagles have already
clinched a playoff birth in the NFC
East, ahead of the now struggling NY
Giants (5-6) and Dallas Cowboys (4-
7).
The Super Bowl champion New
England Patriots (10-1) led by pro
bowl quarterback, Tom Brady and the
revitalized game of Corry Dillon, are
still one of the top teams in the NFL.
the Cincinnati Bengals each took part in
the second highest scoring game in NFL
history. With Cincinnati’s 58-48 win
over the Dawgs of Cleveland, the 106
point defensive atrocity remains the high
point for each of the struggling teams.
One impressive record is at stake this
week as McKendree College’s Harry
Statham tied North Carolina’s Dean
Smith as the winning coaches in college
basketball with 879 wins. Statham has
surmounted his opponents of the NAIA
to become to winningest coach in
leagues history. Carolina’s Smith will
remain atop the NCAA record list for
wins.
Back to the NFL where the Indianapo
lis Colts’ Peyton Manning has sling-shot
his way to 10 touchdown passes in one
week (two games) and a league-leading
41 overall. Manning is closing in on Dan
Marino’s season record of 48. With five
games left in the regular season, Man
ning should toss his way into the record
book.
The NFL’s iron man, Brett Favre, has
accumulated 200 straight starts with his
start this past Monday against the St.
Louis Rams. Favre has fought through
concussions, broken fingers, and even
deaths in the family to remain at the helm
for the Green Bay Packers.
This past Thanksgiving vacation saw
many records and nonstop brilliant per
formances. If you were to turn your tele
vision off once, you would have over
looked these occurrences (unless of
course you have DVR). All of these per
formances may not overlook the miscel
laneous ego trips of basketball players
who duel fans, or even overshadow Terrell
Owens, the NFL’s Lord of the Dance, but
it has been one interesting week in sports.
One last thing-1 miss hockey.
Slomski shot 4-5 from the field and
3-4 at the line to help her team take
the win over Hiram. She finished
with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals
and dished out 2 assists in the close
50-47 game. Slomski is leading the
team in shooting percentage at 65
percent and is averaging 11.0 ppg and
4.0 rpg.
The blue and white will kick off
their first conference match of the
season when they welcome Pitt-
Greensburg to the Junker Center, Fri
day at 6:00 p.m.
iketball
They lead the AFC East ahead of the
NY Jets (8-3) and the Buffalo Bills
(5-6). The Jets are not out of the play
off hunt yet, but the Patriots are
bound to clinch the division with a
rather easy schedule remaining, play
ing the Cleveland Browns (3-8), Mi
ami Dolphins (2-9) and San Fran
Forty-niners (1-10).
Sophomore Herbert O’Beng said
“the Patriots are a good team, but
have not been really tested this year.
I don’t see them going far in the play
offs because they are bound to have
to play some team that is actually
Penn State, Paterno finish season strong
By Ray Parrillo
Knight Ridder Newspapers
(KRT)
It was a brief but emotional moment
between the coach who refuses to be
pushed through the exit door by blitzing
detractors, and the quarterback who re
fused to be beaten into submission by
blitzing linebackers during an up-and
down career.
When senior Zack Mills jogged to the
Beaver Stadium sideline for the final
time near the end of Penn State's 37-13
rout of Michigan State on Saturday in
the final game of the season for the
Nittany Lions, he and Joe Patemo em
braced.
"We kind of drew closer the last couple
years," Mills said after Penn State closed
out a frustrating season with back-to
back wins in the Big Ten Conference.
"He's taken a lot of heat and I've taken a
lot of heat, and I think the respect be
tween us became very, very strong."
Mills was having such a good time,
he didn't want to leave the game, but
Patemo arranged a curtain call for him,
and the crowd that had booed him so fre
quently gave him a standing ovation.
"I didn't think he did that for guys, but
he did and I got a nice ovation," said
Mills, who had touchdown runs of 8 and
10 yards and tossed a 6-yard scoring pass
to Michael Robinson to equal the school
career record of 41 held by Todd
Blackledge and Tony Sacca.
And afterward, Patemo made it clear
he won't leave the game at least not be
fore next season. Asked if he plans to
return for his 40th year, Patemo, who
will turn 78 next month, said, "Have I
ever said I wasn't?
"Is that wishful thinking? I'm planning
to be back next year. As I've said, I'd like
to be able to put together a scenario
where I can pick the time I want to leave
and have somebody in-house ready to
take over."
For one of the few times this season,
Patemo, whose teams have had four los
ing seasons in the last five, was in a
cheery mood, seemingly oblivious to the
notion held even by so many of his loy
alists that his time is past.
Certainly, he had reason to be pleased.
The Nittany Lions (4-7,2-6), whose only
two conference victories the last two sea
sons had come against sad-sack Indiana,
had finally beaten a decent team and had
at last found the end zone with some
regularity.
Michigan State (5-6, 4-4) was com
ing off a stunning 49-14 rout of previ
ously unbeaten Wisconsin, and needed
the win to stay in contention for a bowl
game. Though they had been schizo
phrenic as always, the Spartans were
good.”
Leading the AFC South is the In
dianapolis Colts. The Colts (8-3)
are lead by Peyton Manning who
is on track to break the NFL single
season record for touchdown
g passes. So far Peyton has thrown
S 41 touchdown passes and is seven
§, shy of the record 48 which is held
£ by hall of fame quarterback, Dan
g Marino. Junior Anthony Vietmeier
j said, “Peyton is bound to break the
Q record with five games left to go.
d This quarterback is the best in the
% league and fans watch the Colts just
2 to see him play.” The Colts are fol
lowed by Jacksonville Jaguars (6-
> 5) and the “still waiting to come to
y life” Houston Texans.
> The regional teams in the AFC
North, Pittsburgh Steelers (10-1)
and Cleveland Browns (3-8) are on
opposite ends of the win column.
The struggling Cleveland Brown’s
head coach Butch Davis “resigned”
this week due to pressures from the
front office. Behrend freshman
Matt Decker was asked if it was a
wise move for the Browns to re
lease their coach with the season
not even over yet.
“They should have waited until
the season was over because it re
ally hurts a team’s morale. I also
think the front office loses a lot of
credibility with the team,” said
Decker.
The regional favorite Pittsburgh
Steelers have once again been
brought back to life. Rookie sen
MICHAEL PREEZ/PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Penn State’s Joe Paterno pumps up the crowd before the last regular sea
son game against Michigan State in State College, Pa., on Saturday, Nov.
20. Penn State defeated Michigan State, 32-13.
averaging 30.2 points and a conference
best 458.4 yards a game in total offense.
But Penn State's defense, one of
only two in the nation that never allowed
more than 21 points in a game, once
again had the answers. And the offense,
which had scored a total of seven TDs
in the seven previous conference games,
scored four TDs within 8 minutes of the
third quarter, turning a 6-3 halftime defi
cit into a 31-6 lead.
"That third quarter was the most fun
I've ever had playing football," said de
fensive tackle Scott Paxson, a junior
from Roman Catholic High.
Penn State opened the second half
with a 75-yard scoring drive, which fin
ished with Tony Hunt's 1 -yard dive for a
10-6 lead. Mills said the drive was criti
cal after a first half in which the Nittany
Lions had nothing but a 47-yard field
goal by Robbie Gould.
"I think that first drive was so im
portant," Mills said. "If we had gone
three and out or if they had stopped us,
it could have been a different ball game.
But I think when we got that touchdown,
it got the defense fired up and they did a
great job."
Defensive end Tamba Hali made a
leaping interception of a screen pass by
Drew Stanton at the Michigan State 8-
yard line. On the next play, Mills, who
ran for 74 yards, raced around the right
side for a TD. A shifty runner, Mills had
not been carrying the ball much in re
cent games because he hadn't been com
pletely healthy.
"They were joking and saying we
were going with the QB run more this
game because I didn't have to be healthy
for the next game," Mills said, smiling.
The Behrend Beacon | 9
sation Ben Roethlisberger has started
out with the best recorded record by
a rookie in NFL history including
wins over two undefeated teams ear
lier this year. Roethlisberger has
thrown 12 touchdowns this year and
has the Steelers on a ten game win
streak. The Steelers fans are also go
ing crazy over the resurrection of “the
Bus.” For those who have not been
in this country for the last 10 years,
“the bus” refers to Pro-bowl veteran
Jerome Bettis. Bettis has had four
consecutive one hundred yard games
and has come through for the team
while replacing the Steelers injured
starter Duce Staley, who is expected
to return this weekend.
When asked if the aging Jerome
Bettis will be able to go the distance
this year if the Steelers go deep into
the playoffs, junior Nick Muscarella
said, “The Steelers need to give him
a break during the games. He wants
to run the ball and is excited to play,
but he needs a little rest from time to
time.”
The NFL season ends Jan. 2 and the
playoffs are set to begin on Jan. 8.
There are still plenty of playoff spots
to fill with five games remaining.
Many teams continue to strive for a
playoff birth. Teams like the Balti
more Ravens (7-4), NY Jets (8-3), At
lanta Falcons (9-2) and Minnesota Vi
kings (7-4) are still in the playoff
hunt. Who will represent the AFC
and the NFC on Feb. 6 in Super Bowl
XXXIX?
With a 17-6 lead, Penn State went
on a rare scoring tear.
Linebacker Paul Posluszny inter
cepted a pass by Damon Dowdell and
ran it 18 yards to the Spartans' 10-yard
line. On the next play, Mills went 10
yards untouched up the middle on a draw.
A blocked punt by Donnie Johnson set
up Penn State at the Michigan State 22-
yard line, setting up Mills' TD throw to
Robinson and fattening the lead to 31-6.
"Now that was our team out there
today," senior strong safety Andrew
Guman said. "I hope we helped estab
lish something for the future."
Guman is one of only two starters
who won't return for a defense that held
Michigan State 120 yards below its av
erage.
"We can build on what we have,"
Patemo said.
Notes. Adam Taliaferro, who suf
fered a career-ending spinal injury in
2000 but made a miraculous recovery
from temporary paralysis, was among 13
seniors introduced before the game. He
received a rousing ovation before he was
hoisted in the air by lineman Scott Davis.
"When Adam ran out of the tunnel, it
really set the tone for us," junior center
E.Z. Smith said. Taliaferro, from
Voorhees, Camden County, is scheduled
to graduate in May. He plans to attend
law school. Dan Connor, the freshman
linebacker from Strath Haven High, left
the game late in the fourth quarter after
suffering a stinger. Penn State inter
cepted five passes by three Michigan
State quarterbacks. The Nittany Lions
had scored 66 points combined in their
previous seven conference games.